


Method to the Mad List

by crabwalker



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Competition, Fluff, Grittiness:0, M/M, Multi, Other, Spoiler Alert: Friendship is Magic, canon has no power here, no plot twists, teens in love:9000+, this is exactly what you'd expect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26382727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crabwalker/pseuds/crabwalker
Summary: Erwin, Hange, Mike, and Levi participate in the yearly Coalition Competition at Hogwarts, where the winning group is exempt from final exams. All they have to do is complete the checklist – as a team.
Relationships: Erwin Smith/Mike Zacharias, Levi/Erwin Smith, Levi/Erwin Smith/Mike Zacharias, Levi/Mike Zacharias, Moblit Berner/Hange Zoë, Pieck/Hange Zoë
Comments: 25
Kudos: 24





	Method to the Mad List

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know Rowling has been sipping on stupid juice, but in the words of Daniel Radcliffe: ‘If you found anything in these stories that resonated with you at any time in your life - then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred.’
> 
> Harry Potter and Hogwarts was a love of my childhood, and while it’s important to realize a writer does not condone everything they write, aspects of themselves can appear in their writing; and as readers we must think critically about the stories we consume (if you're paying for it no one come after me pls)
> 
> But I’ll always love Hogwarts School, and I wanted more mikeruri cause why the hell not.

Erwin waved to his mother through a window halfway down the Hogwarts Express, matching her bright smile. A hand reached up to hold her hat to her head as a gust of wind threatened to blow it away, and they laughed at each other through the glass. The train picked up speed, leaving her behind in seconds, but Erwin stood with his hand raised until they turned a corner and the platform was lost from view. The smile slipped from his face and he turned, dragging his trunk behind him as he searched for an empty compartment. He sighed – he was nervous. 

He shouldn't be, of course; he was meeting Mike, his very best friend since the day they met on this same train five years ago. They took to each other at once; they were inseparable despite belonging to different Houses. Perhaps it was their unique closeness that eventually turned them toward each other, two months ago, in a compartment down at the back of the Hogwarts Express. 

The one Erwin stood in front of now. He blinked – he had somehow walked the entire length of the train without noticing. He couldn't even recall if he had passed any empty compartments. He reached out and slid open the narrow door, but hesitated, teetering over the threshold. There was still time to go to the Prefect's Carriage instead. 

"Erwin, hey." 

Mike's voice had gotten deeper again, or maybe Erwin had forgotten the exact pitch over the holiday; and his American accent was a little stronger, as it always was, at the beginning of a school year. 

Erwin turned, meeting Mike's eyes. They were the same clear green, flecked with brown at the edges, and Erwin couldn't help but remember the last time he looked into those eyes. They were darker then, despite the summer sunlight streaming through the windows. 

"Hey...you," Erwin could feel himself blushing, and he shifted his grip on his trunk. 

Mike stopped short, studying him. "Don't tell me you forgot my name," he said wryly. 

Erwin relaxed and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Mike's shoulders. They hugged each other tightly, both thinking the same thing: This past summer was the longest they had been apart since they met. 

They hefted their trunks onto the racks, a tinge of awkwardness in the air, and sat on the worn seats. Mike stretched his legs out, propping up his feet next to Erwin. 

"So," he said very seriously. 

Erwin stiffened, mentally running through his list of explanations and talking points, and wondered if he should speak first. 

"Why are you skipping the Prefect Party?" Mike smirked, as if he knew what Erwin thinking. 

Erwin smiled and closed his eyes; he needn't have worried, Mike was the same as ever. He looked up. 

"I'd rather be here," he said truthfully, and Mike's eyes softened. "And I don't want to be trapped with Traute, she did that internship over the summer and she'll want to tell me all about it. I'll get the password later." 

Traute was the seventh year Slytherin prefect, who showed Erwin the ropes the previous year. She was nice enough, but had an unnerving fascination with subversive vigilante groups. She excitedly told Erwin last term of her intentions to join a 'dueling club' during the holidays. 

"Well, if she comes looking for you, I'm kicking you out. I don't want to hear about it either," said Mike, grinning broadly and nudging Erwin with his foot. 

Erwin laughed, feeling the tension melt away. He swung his feet up to rest next to Mike, their legs like bridges between the seats. Rolling hills flashed past the window, the occasional cottage dotting the countryside, and sunlight warmed the compartment. 

They filled each other in on their respective summers, sliding back into their easy camaraderie; they exchanged letters, of course, but it could never measure up to hearing the other's voice and seeing their expressions. Mike talked of playing basketball with his muggle neighbors, enchanting their gardens, and practicing magic without worrying about the Trace; and Erwin watched him, lips curving upwards. 

A companionable silence fell as evening approached. Erwin propped his head on his hand as colored smoke billowed out of Mike's wand, twisting themselves into all manner of animals. The tenuous shapes wound up to the window, open just a crack, and were pulled away by the train's slipstream. 

"What's up?" Asked Mike, catching Erwin's eye through the fog. 

Erwin hesitated. How could he tell Mike how much he meant to him, after what happened last time they were on the train; the incident he feared would end their friendship. It had only been a little kiss...a little kiss that felt right, that made his heart soar, that he blushed over and berated himself over and thought about every night since. 

"You know you're my best friend, right?" Erwin watched Mike carefully, hoping to glean some insight to his thoughts. 

Mike nodded. Erwin bit his lip, not sure if he should continue. Perhaps he should abandon this conversation entirely; he wanted to tell Mike he definitely loved him as a friend and maybe as something more, but springing that information on someone felt a little rude. Erwin had been told several times he had a tendency to come on strong. 

"Hey. Kiss me," said Mike. 

Erwin relaxed, standing and straddling Mike's lap in one smooth movement. He pointed his wand at the hallway windows, whose shutters unfurled, and bent down to Mike's face. He really needn't have worried. 

* * *

Hundreds of students sat at the four House tables, newly sorted first years struggling to remember the names of those around them. Thousands of candles flickered above their heads, under the starry sky of the Great Hall. The Welcome Feast was boisterous, as always, students calling to each other and scurrying up and down the benches. Ghosts were present as well, shimmering in the air, floating an inch or two above the flagstones. 

Erwin caught the eye of Mike, at the Gryffindor table sitting next to fifth years Nanaba and Gelgar. He winked across the hall at him, and Erwin grinned back. He felt his cheeks flush and hurriedly turned to Nile, who raised his eyebrows but thankfully didn't comment. 

"The new password's 'Ambition,' by the way," said Nile, reaching for the crystal carafe of pumpkin juice. 

Erwin rolled his eyes. The first password of the year was always a little obvious, to make it easier for first years to remember. Zeke Yeager, the new fifth year prefect on Erwin's other side, seemed to agree. 

"You should tell Mike before Reiss does," continued Nile, now cutting his chicken. 

Seventh year Slytherin, Urklyn Reiss, had had a crush on Mike for quite a while now. Mike, much like everyone else, had a brief infatuation with his sister Frieda, a Hufflepuff sixth year. It passed quickly enough when she revealed herself to be gay and began dating a girl from Beauxbatons she met on holiday. 

Urklyn was a nice guy, but not good enough for Mike, and Erwin made up his mind to catch up to Mike after the Feast. It was an unspoken tradition at Hogwarts to allow certain best-friends-forever into each other's common rooms, and Mike was notified of the Slytherin password as dutifully as Erwin was told of Gryffindor's. 

Erwin pulled a dish of beef closer to himself, thinking of how he and Mike were best friends and everyone knew it. 

"So...you're like, together now?" 

Erwin choked a little and grabbed his glass, nearly knocking it over. 

"Why would you ask that?" He said, wiping his mouth. He hastily arranged his face into a look of polite puzzlement. 

"Because you've been making eyes at him across the hall for the last hour, it's wilting the salad," said Nile, poking the somewhat shriveled leaves. "And then when I asked you looked like a concussed troll, so I'm going to have to draw some conclusions." 

Erwin turned back to his plate, smoothing his napkin across his lap. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said loftily. 

He picked up his fork, catching Mike's eye again. They smiled at each other, until Nanaba leaned in front of Mike and waved at him enthusiastically. Erwin waved back, ignoring Nile's snort. 

After dessert was served and students began trading seats to talk, Headmaster Fritz stood from his center seat at the High Table. The teachers looked to him politely, and silence fell over the hall. 

"Here we are for another year..." Said Fritz lazily. "Rules are posted in the common rooms. Submit your names to your Heads of Houses for Quidditch tryouts. If you wish to participate in this year's Coalition Competition, checklists will be outside my office." 

He sat, and the teachers clapped dutifully. The students caught on a second later, but the scattered applause died quickly as they stood and filed out of the hall. Erwin rose with the others, benches scraping across the stones, and made a beeline to Mike as the chattering students moved as a herd to the double doors. 

"Hey," said Erwin, clapping a hand to Mike's shoulder. "Password's 'Ambition,' in case you didn't know what Slytherin was all about." 

"Ours is 'Pumpkin Punch,'" said Mike, following Nanaba and Gelgar out of the hall. 

Erwin frowned at him quizzically. "...Really?" 

"Yup." 

They turned away from the other students, crowding on the stairs and into hallways off the Entrance Hall. Erwin pulled aside a tapestry, allowing Mike to pass first through one of their favorite shortcuts to the third floor. This hallway was deserted but for a suit of armor, that turned its helmet with loud creak as they passed. 

"Shouldn't you be leading little first years to the common room?" Asked Mike, slowing to a stop next to a large window that looked out onto the lake. 

"Traute can handle it. It'll give the new prefects something to do anyway," said Erwin. The moonlight wavered on the water, and the long grass at the edge bent towards it. 

"Quidditch tryouts?" 

Erwin was captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, as well as a prefect and top student. 

"I'll figure it out." 

They stood silently, both gazing out the window onto the dark grounds, bathed silver in the moonlight. 

"Nile asked if we're together now," Erwin said casually, but felt his heart beat faster all the same. 

"Are we?" 

Ah, shit. Erwin should have thought of that before mentioning it. What should he say now, would Mike even want to be with him? Maybe he should have asked while they were making out on the train. He wanted to at the time, but it didn't seem like the right moment. 

He blinked as he felt Mike's hand on his back. 

"Look, it's not a big deal," Mike's voice was quiet; Erwin felt an unfamiliar thrill go through him and his cheeks heated yet again. He was glad it was dark. 

"We've got other things going on." The hand pulled away. 

"No, wait," Erwin caught the hand and held it tightly. "I..." 

Mike was right; they had so much to do. Erwin had his prefect duties, they both played for their House Quidditch teams, and as sixth years they were now NEWT-level students. He didn't even know if he wanted to be in a relationship, if he'd be willing to risk their friendship for a fleeting teenage romance. 

Mike was waiting for him to say something, anything. Erwin couldn't see his eyes for the shadows around them. 

So he pulled Mike to him and kissed him, slipping his arms up around his shoulders. He sighed with relief as Mike kissed him back, and they held each other in the empty corridor. 

A flash of white in the corner of Erwin's eye; he pulled back to see the small ghost of Ymir floating through the stone wall. 

He turned back to Mike, and they were still for a moment. Then they laughed and looked at the floor sheepishly. 

"We should get to bed...classes tomorrow, and all that." 

Mike nodded. He began to walk to the stairs, but turned back. Raising Erwin's hand to his face, he brushed his lips lightly across the knuckles. Erwin bit his lip, pleased, and squeezed Mike's strong hand. 

"Go to bed!" 

Mike climbed the stairs and turned the corner to Gryffindor tower, at the top of the castle. Erwin went the way they came, strolling with his hands in his pockets. As he reached the entrance to the stairs, concealed behind a stone wall, he heard the suit of armor creak from its pedestal. The armor brandished a thumbs-up at him, and he chuckled self-consciously. 

Erwin continued to the Slytherin common room, below the dungeons, thinking of Mike and feeling an unexpected guilt squirming in his stomach. He should not have kissed Mike when he didn't even know if he wanted to date him; as it was, even if they didn't date and break up Mike may still be upset that Erwin led him on. Then, perhaps, he would stop speaking to Erwin entirely, and Erwin would lose his best friend, and he'd never be able to find another friend like Mike, and he'd be alone forever. 

Erwin threw himself into his bed and drew the curtains around him. He lay there, listening to the slow breaths of his fellow Slytherins, Nile’s distinctive, coughing snore among them. He began putting together a to-do list to distract himself from the thought of Mike, his hands, his mouth, his understanding smile. 

Oh, yes, he also had to set up Quidditch tryouts. 

* * *

Monday morning after breakfast the students tramped off to their first class, several pile-ups on the stairs leading to a first year nearly falling when the stone staircase unexpectedly swiveled to another corridor. Erwin and Mike usually broke fast together, but sat at their own House tables to receive their schedules. Not that it mattered – they had both signed up for the same subjects, as they intended to be Aurors after leaving school. They walked to Potions together, in the dungeons, not talking but catching each other's eye every so often and grinning shiftily. 

About sixteen students decided to take Potions at the NEWT level, including Hange of Ravenclaw. This was hardly surprising; though Hange was particularly adept at Transfiguration they also loved Potions. Or, rather, they enjoyed mixing their own (usually explosive) concoctions. 

"Erwin! Mike!" Trilled Hange, slamming their cauldron down on the table. "You guys are taking Potions too, this is great! I modified the recipe for the Silly Solution, you should try it!" 

"Uh...you mean the Scintillating Solution?" Asked Mike. He'd always had a soft spot for Hange's enthusiasm. 

"Yeah but I made it better, now it makes you feel extra silly," Hange pulled out their potion kit, scattering the supplies so they took up half the table. 

Erwin couldn't help but smile as he and Mike set up their cauldrons, pulling out their copies of _Advanced Potion-Making._ The other sixth years knew by now to avoid Hange's table unless they wanted to be a casualty of their zeal, and the other tables around the room filled. 

Last to arrive was Levi Ackerman, a Hufflepuff, a minute before class was due to start. He looked around the room, seeing the tables filled in groups of four, and his dark eyes landed on Mike, Erwin, and Hange's table. His forehead creased and he looked around the room again, to confirm that the seat next to Hange was really the only one remaining. 

He walked to them and resignedly sat his bag next to the empty chair. He glanced at each of them quickly and nodded, setting up his cauldron and potion kit. 

"Hi, Levi! How you doing? How was your summer? You look like you grew a bit. I didn't know you were going to take Potions, how was the OWL? I thought the practical was fine but the written portion had too many questions." Hange chattered, oblivious to Levi's stern frown. They only stopped when Professor Pixis walked in, two minutes late to his own class. 

"Hello class, good to see all of you back for NEWT level," said Pixis cheerfully. "Take out your books, today we'll be mixing the Draught of Living Death. And be careful now, if you're not delicate you can put the drinker in an irreversible sleep." 

Conversation bubbled up among the students as they began their potions; typically, Hange and Mike were the first to finish preparing their ingredients and were now lighting fires under their cauldrons. Erwin took his time; he learned years ago not to try to race Mike in Potions. 

"Hey, your sopophorous bean is a little dry," said Mike, inhaling and nodding towards Levi's shriveled bean. "Take one of these." 

He tossed a bean to Levi, who deftly snatched it out of the air. Levi looked down quickly, leaning down to poke at the bottom of his cauldron with his wand. The fire reflected on his cheeks – he was still frowning. 

Mike and Erwin looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Levi would be an excellent Seeker for his House team. Neither of them had ever talked to the taciturn Hufflepuff before, though; or at least, he'd never talked back. 

Steam soon filled the room, hovering over the cauldrons. Hange kept up a constant flow of talk, though only Erwin ever replied. Levi kept his head down; his potion was decent, but not the same light shade of lilac that Mike and Hange's were. 

Levi didn't want to be here, at this table, next to Mike, Hange, and Erwin. He didn't want to be near Hange for obvious reasons – they never shut up. Sometimes they even chased him down during break to talk his ear off. It was incredibly irritating, and a little endearing, and Levi reluctantly enjoyed their occasional company - but only occasionally. Erwin Smith was...out of his league. Tall, handsome, top student, prefect, Quidditch captain; Levi had seen him charm the hats off many of their peers. Enterprising and persuasive, he was admired by many – including Levi. And Mike Zacharias…he definitely didn't want to be next to Mike, who he'd never spoken to but nurtured an intense crush on for the last two years. 

It hadn't even been anything particularly special; not to Mike, anyway. It was a typical fourth year Hufflepuff and Gryffindor joint Potions lesson, and Levi needed the knotgrass that some idiot had stored on the top shelf. Levi had reached for the box twice, even lifting onto his toes the second time, and was just about to pull out his wand to Summon the stupid thing when Mike appeared next to him, taking the box and handing it to him silently. 

And Levi, like a dumbass, treasured that small act of kindness and held it close to his heart. He didn't socialize by choice, either with Hufflepuffs or other students, because the worst feeling in the world was receiving some small sense of warmth and realizing he desperately wanted more. So he avoided Mike from that point on: it was easy, really. He was so tall that he stood out in any crowd. Levi's eye was drawn to him whenever they happened to pass, and he had successfully made himself invisible to Mike for two years. 

But now Mike was across the table from him, and had been nice to him _yet again_ , and there was nowhere to hide. Levi surreptitiously pulled out his wand and directed it at his cauldron; steam flowed over the edges and rose up into the air, concealing him from Mike and Erwin. His potion wouldn't be perfect, but it wouldn't have been exactly right before he overheated it anyway. Hange raised an eyebrow at him, but for once chose not to say anything about it. 

"Hey, are you guys taking Transfiguration? Professor Ksaver said that NEWT level is where it really gets interesting," said Hange, now stirring and counting their revolutions. 

"Yeah, we both are," said Erwin, indicating Mike with his shoulder. He lowered the temperature of the fire under his cauldron until the potion calmed to a simmer. 

"What about you, Levi?" 

Levi shook his head curtly, not taking his eyes off his potion. It was a deep purple, almost eggplant, and was beginning to congeal. 

"Here, let me help you with that," said Mike, moving around the table to stand next to Levi. "You just need some more sopophorous bean juice...and lower the temperature a little...there. Keep stirring and it'll be fine." 

Levi nodded, grimacing. He was making a right fool of himself in front of Mike and Erwin, and he knew for a fact that Hange would never let him forget this. He was actually pretty good at Potions, usually; but he wasn't putting up a very good show of himself right now. 

Plus, Mike was standing next to him, almost over him, and Levi pulled his eyebrows down so his red cheeks wouldn't look quite so much like a blush. 

"Thanks," he grunted, shuffling around in his kit for some ingredient he didn't need. 

Professor Pixis was making a circuit around the room, generous with praise and advice. Mike returned to his cauldron as Pixis approached their table, and nodded as Pixis greeted them. Both Mike and Hange's potions were excellent, Erwin's very good, and Levi's, thanks to Mike, was passable. 

"Good work today everyone. Please leave now," said Pixis, waving his hand vaguely. He left the room first, and the students talked loudly as they vanished their potions and put their kits away. 

Levi sighed – finally. He had a free period next, and intended to spend it trying to forget this disastrous first class of term. Hange, Erwin, and Mike were discussing the Transfiguration class they had next, and Levi scooped his things into his bag as quickly as possible in order to leave before them. 

Levi was the first to exit the Potions classroom, ignoring Hange calling out after him. He'd heard that, in sixth year, free periods were needed to keep up with the difficult coursework; but Pixis hadn't assigned any Potions homework and Levi wanted to fly on his broomstick. 

The broomstick was old, worn, and stolen, but was something like a friend to Levi. It never said anything stupid, or told him to play Quidditch with everyone else, and had never let him fall. Unlike most others at Hogwarts, Levi didn't care for Quidditch – it was boring. Levi was a talented precision flyer, fast and nimble, and desired something that required more skill than flying around a stadium. 

He retrieved his broom from his dorm and snuck out the east entrance to the grounds. Pausing under the shadow of the castle, Levi performed a Disillusionment charm on himself and the broom. He wasn't entirely sure if flying solo around the grounds was allowed; he hadn't seen anyone else do it, and so invisibility charms were the first spells he taught himself as a first year. It was also handy for sneaking around the castle at night: one of Levi's favorite pastimes. He probably knew the castle and its secrets better than anyone else. 

Levi swung a nearly-invisible leg over the broom and kicked off, rising to sixty feet and hovering in place. He tipped forward into a dive, so low his toes brushed the grass, and rose again in a tight spiral. He pulled up on the handle, performing a perfectly controlled backwards corkscrew loop, and circled the castle. He flew higher, orbiting the Astronomy tower, and began to weave between the stone towers, dipping and rolling and reaching out to brush the rough stones with his fingertips. 

He could feel himself relaxing, mouth spreading into something like a smile, and did a hairpin turn around Gryffindor tower. He remembered days spent running around the streets of London with Isabel and Farlan, flying on broomsticks when they could steal them, and the underground flying races they competed in – highly dangerous obstacle courses, sometimes over muggle airspace, where crashes were common and magical interference encouraged. They had made so much money betting on these competitions – all Isabel and Farlan had to do was put their gold on Levi. And then, of course, they lost it all when their little group became too successful for the other contestants' tastes. 

Levi slowed and jumped over the parapet of the Astronomy tower. He sat, letting his legs dangle over the edge, and turned his face into the breeze. 

* * *

Mike lined up with Erwin outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, dreading the complexity of the Transfiguration homework they had just been assigned. He had never particularly liked Transfiguration; he had only signed up for the class because Erwin wanted them to become Aurors together. However, over the summer Mike reconsidered what he wanted to do after school, and whether following Erwin because he had no aspirations himself was a wise choice. Mike had been told by teachers and Erwin that he'd make an excellent Auror, and he was reasonably confident he would, but the more he thought about it the less he was sure he wanted to devote his life to that cause. 

And, now that he had two twelve-inch Transfiguration essays due Friday, he was even less convinced that it was all worth the effort. 

He inhaled and turned his head in time to see Levi join the line, running his fingers through his hair and wafting the scent to Mike. He hadn't been at lunch, though it was possible Mike hadn't spotted him through the crowd; and his hair smelled like wind, as it often did, like he had been flying. He was cute, little nose wrinkling as he frowned at his classmates, and the corner of Mike's mouth twitched. 

Mike had a bit of a secret thing for Levi for years now, a little crush he hadn't even told Erwin about. There was no point mentioning it, really: Levi was very good-looking and famously unapproachable. Mike was one of many who had an unspoken crush on Levi. 

They all filed into the classroom, seating themselves and pulling out books and quills. Mike kept track of Levi – he was heading to the back of the room, as he always did. 

"Hey, Levi," called Erwin. "Come sit with us." 

Levi stared at Erwin, then at Mike. He nodded cautiously and set down his bag, drawing out his chair with a scrape. He pulled out a quill and parchment and sat very still, looking off to the side and avoiding their eyes. 

This didn't perturb Erwin in the slightest. He had been best friends with Mike for five years; he was used to talking to stones. 

Professor Kruger called the class to order, and as Levi turned to face him Mike took the opportunity to admire his small form. That was definitely wind in his hair, which shone in the light from the window and was still a little tousled. His robes were worn and comfortable, and he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. Mike blinked as Erwin nudged him, and turned to see him wiggling his thick eyebrows. He bit his lip and elbowed Erwin back, knowing he wouldn't hesitate to tease him as soon as class was over. Which would be fine with Mike, really, as long as they made out afterwards. 

Professor Kruger was hungover, though Mike was certain no one but him could smell the alcohol emanating from the disheveled man. There were rumors of a secret staff welcome party the first night back at Hogwarts, but until now there had been no real evidence. He and Erwin traded looks as Kruger dismissed the class only fifteen minutes after it started, wiping his forehead on the sleeve of his robe and slouching at his desk. 

"Bye, Levi," Erwin gave Levi a glittering smile, and Levi stared at him, unsure how to respond. "We'll see you in Potions on Wednesday, if not tomorrow." 

Erwin dragged Mike by the sleeve from the room, down the Defense corridor, and through a concealed staircase to a deserted wing of the castle. 

"So," said Erwin jauntily, bars of sunlight and shadow illuminating and then shading his face as they strolled down the hall. "Levi." 

Mike sighed heavily. 

"No, no, he's cute," assured Erwin, grinning wider and struggling not to laugh. "And it looks like you _like_ him..." 

Mike groaned but didn't deny it, hands in his pockets. 

"I bet you want to hold his little _hand_...should I be jealous? What if I wanted you to hold _my_ hand?" 

"I'm quite sure I could hold both your hands at once," quipped Mike, imitating Erwin's accent. 

A woman in a pink dress giggled behind her fan from the portrait beside them. 

Mike walked Erwin back until he was pressed against the window, and rested his forearms on either side of Erwin's head. He could feel the coolness of the glass seeping through his sleeves. He leaned close, brushing his lips across Erwin's jaw and up to the ear. 

"Are you jealous?" asked Mike softly. 

"He's cute," Erwin demurred. His eyes were already half-lidded and a smile played around his lips. 

Mike hummed in agreement and kissed him. 

* * *

Mike and Erwin sat together at the Gryffindor table, trying not to smile too much. They both failed, grinning at each other in turn and occasionally breaking into quickly stifled laughter. Gelgar, across from them, looked from Mike to Erwin, chewing slowly. 

"You guys are real weird today," he said, reaching for the water jug. "Did you drink Hange's Silly Solution? I heard them telling Nifa about it, poor girl looked scared as hell." 

"Something like that," said Erwin, hiding his mouth behind his napkin. He caught Mike's eye and looked away quickly. 

"Uh huh..." Said Gelgar. He seemed to decide he'd rather not inquire further. 

Headmaster Fritz caught Erwin's attention, sitting at the High Table with the other teachers. He ate lightly, looking bored. 

"Hey, Mike..." Erwin began. He flipped his fork over between his fingers. "We should do the Coalition Competition this year." 

Mike looked at him but didn't answer. 

"Yeah...if we win, we can be exempt from the final exams. We can have some free time in June." 

"We'll need a Hufflepuff and a Ravenclaw on the team." Mike turned back to his plate. 

"Hm...what about Hange? The checklist is supposedly really difficult, I bet they'd be a big help." 

Mike bobbed his head. 

"And for Hufflepuff..." Erwin turned to face Mike. "We could ask..." 

Mike refused to look up. 

"...We could ask Levi." 

Mike sighed and Erwin felt his face split into a grin. "What? Don't you want to team up with Levi? I had Defense with him last year, he's a fantastic dueler." 

"Do you really want to do the Mad List? On top of everything else you have going on?" Asked Mike seriously, facing Erwin. "No one's won the damn thing in almost ten years. Are you sure you want to bother?" 

Erwin gazed over the heads of the students, thinking. Mike was right, as he usually was, but still; to be exempt from the final exams...he only needed one day in June, just one. 

"Yes," he said, looking Mike in the eye. "I think we can do it." 

Mike stared at him gravely for a few moments, then nodded. "Let's do it, then." 

* * *

Though he projected confidence and surety, Erwin couldn't help but mull over what Mike said at dinner as he walked alone to the Headmaster's Office to pick up the checklist. It was true that he had a lot of responsibilities already, and it was true that no one had won in years. But June Twenty-Fourth was always during exam season, and this year in particular, after achieving his OWLs and beginning his path to becoming an Auror, he wanted that one day to himself. 

And the only way it could happen was if he completed the checklist, if he won the competition. 

Sheaves of parchment were pinned to a notice board beside the bronze griffin that stood guard over the Head Office. Erwin pulled a sheet down – it had 'Coalition Competition Checklist' printed in large letters across the top. Below, an instruction to write each team member's name. The rest was blank. 

The Coalition Competition was established over a hundred years ago, after feuding between the Houses reached such an intensity that a first year girl was accidentally killed; the casualty of a petty school rivalry. The Headmaster at the time, another Fritz, came up with a brilliant solution: more competition. 

This time, though, the conflict would be between teams of four instead of whole Houses; each team requiring one member from each House. The teams received a checklist of tasks to be done, changed every year and renowned for their inscrutability. Though the lure of exemption from finals was great, it seemed that the Mad List was so difficult most teams gave up halfway through the year. 

It was possible that that could happen to Erwin's team as well. However, as Erwin paced slowly to the Slytherin common room, he felt a bubble of hope burgeoning in his chest. Hange, Mike, and Levi, given their skills, they could win; Erwin truly believed they could. And, as he crossed the common room to the boy's dorms, he couldn't help but feel that they were different from the other teams who had attempted the List. They were different, and he was different too: he wanted the prize more. 

* * *

Tuesday morning found Erwin, Mike, Hange, and Levi in Charms together with Professor Magath. Magath was stern but fair, and had a soft spot for first years. He was also tolerant of Hange's absurdity, which made him alright in Mike's book. He set them a review of their most advanced OWL concepts, and left them to practice their spells. 

Professor Magath wasn't one to hover, and the volume in the room increased as the students waved their wands and chatted. Hange had been the one to insist Levi sit with them, and they prattled on about the Muggle Studies class they had later today, and how excited they were. 

"Oh, I thought you were going into Transfiguration academia, Hange," said Erwin, pointing his wand at his teacup. The ceramic cup sprouted four legs and began to dance, off-rhythm. "Aren't your parents famous Transfiguration theoreticians?" 

"Yeah," answered Hange, making several buttons and scraps of paper fly around their head in a miniature tornado. "But I really want to go into Muggle Relations, they're so interesting, aren't they? I'm still taking NEWT-level Transfiguration, but I've been trying to acclimate them to the idea that I'll work with muggles after school instead. You know, I've heard there's a village in Madagascar where the muggles actually know about magic and live alongside wizards, I'd love to see it--" 

Levi pointed his wand at Hange's quill, which burst in a shower of green sparks. 

"Aw, Levi!" Hange mourned over the tiny pile of ashes, but only for a second. "You're really good at nonverbal spells, I still haven't been able to do a single one." 

Levi gave Hange a long, tired look, which they cheerfully ignored. 

"Hey," said Erwin, picking up his dancing teacup and leaning forward. Mike glanced at him, and returned his attention to the paper butterfly fluttering around his head. 

"How about we do the Coalition Competition together? I really think we could win." 

Hange sat up excitedly. "That sounds fun! I wanted to do it last year, but figured I should focus on OWLs instead." 

Erwin turned to Levi. "How about you, are you in?" 

Mike watched Levi closely, who was taking a long time to answer. He was flipping his wand to a backwards grip and forward again, absentmindedly, looking off to the corner of the classroom. He began to shake his head until he caught Mike's eye. His nose scrunched up and he exhaled slowly. 

"...Sure, I guess," he mumbled. 

Erwin beamed. "Thanks, Levi, we wouldn't be able to do it without you." 

Levi squinted a little, like he was trying to look into the sun. "...Because you need a Hufflepuff?" 

"No, we need you specifically," said Erwin sincerely. 

"Yeah, Levi, you always figure out the quickest way to do things!" Chimed in Hange. Their tiny whirlwind exploded outwards, scattering buttons and bits of paper on students and tables. 

Levi looked to Mike again, who tried to smile encouragingly. Levi dropped his dark gaze to the table and lifted his wand. Flames rolled out, blue and gelatinous, emitting heat but not damaging the wooden surface. 

Mike sighed quietly. Erwin was a very driven person, who sometimes ignored others' reluctance in his mad dash toward his goals. Mike usually chose to go along with Erwin's plans; and so far, Erwin's successes were worth the sacrifices. Participating in the Competition didn't seem to be Levi's first choice though, and as Erwin was so busy anyway, Mike had hoped he'd given up on his intentions to compete. 

But Erwin was Erwin, and once he decided to do something he was willing to die to accomplish it. Mike admired that about him, loved that about him, he loved Erwin for all his shine and edges and flaws; and if Erwin wanted this badly enough that he'd take on even more responsibility than he already had, then Mike would help him however he could. 

Professor Magath appeared out of nowhere, extinguishing the flames on the desk. The four of them jumped. 

"Well done, Levi, but remember to contain your power when necessary," said Magath, and Levi nodded. Magath meandered towards the front of the room, winding between students and checking on their proficiency. 

"Let's meet up after dinner to look at the first task," said Erwin quietly. Hange nodded up and down, many times, in quick succession. They bounced a little in their seat, as if they couldn't possibly wait until then. 

Magath dismissed the class, and chatter broke out again as the students picked up their bags and gathered at the door. Mike and Erwin lingered as Hange pulled Levi out the door to their Herbology class, talking nonstop and walking much faster than normal in their excitement. 

"Get into it, Mike, we're about to start the checklist," said Erwin, throwing an arm around Mike's shoulder. 

"You already looked at the first task, didn't you?" 

Erwin grinned and pulled him closer as they left the charms classroom. "We have a free period before dinner. Want to get out on the Quidditch pitch?" 

"What, do you suddenly think you can block my shot?" Mike slung his arm around Erwin's waist, winking at the passing Gunther, who had smiled at the sight of them. 

"Of course I can. You want to bet? Wanna kiss about it?" 

Mike laughed and pushed Erwin away, to the staircase that led to the History of Magic wing. "Loser takes off their clothes." 

"What about the winner?" 

"They also take off their clothes." 

Erwin sauntered down the hall, thrusting his wand into the air and shooting out gold sparks. 

Mike shook his head and walked to the Entrance Hall, half-closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. That horrible, sugary perfume was still trendy with the younger girls, and the gentle breeze wafting from the huge double doors indicated that the grass was still damp. He spotted Hange and Levi walking at a normal pace about twenty feet ahead of him; Levi seemed to be able to reign in Hange's zest for life, perhaps more skillfully than even Moblit, a fifth year Ravenclaw and Hange's best friend. 

Mike didn't change his pace but caught up to them anyway, opening his lips slightly to allow air to flow over his tongue. Levi smelled nice enough, probably; but his scent was overwhelmed by Hange's, and Mike shut his mouth quickly. He turned his head to catch the slow wind blowing from the south. 

"Mike! Do you have Herbology too? No? Ah, wouldn't it be great if we had all our classes together..." Hange talked to themselves all the way to the greenhouses, while Mike watched Levi from his peripherals. He seemed to have resigned himself to Hange's company. 

Sixth years were milling around Greenhouse Four, and Hange beelined towards them. Levi slowed a little, reluctant to gather with the others, and Mike looked down at him. Before he could stop himself he rested a hand on Levi's shoulder – he was even smaller under his robes than he looked, but unexpectedly muscular. He squeezed gently, jerking his chin at Hange as if to say _'good luck.'_

Levi appeared to understand, for he nodded mutely, and Mike felt himself smile. He squeezed Levi's shoulder again and made his way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where he could see Professor Uri preparing for Care of Magical Creatures. 

* * *

Levi sighed gratefully as the bell rang, signaling the end of Herbology and temporarily interrupting Hange's flow. They had Muggle Studies next, while Levi had a free period, so he supposed he could tolerate the chatter for a few more minutes as they walked together to the castle. He made a point not to walk with anyone in the halls and to eat alone in the Great Hall, but Hange's energy (annoying as it was) was somehow infectious, and Levi found he didn't mind them quite so much at the moment. And he was reluctant to admit it, even to himself, that he had rather liked when Hange called him over to sit with them in class. They smiled like they genuinely wanted him there next to them, Mike and Erwin too, and in an uncomfortably strange way it made him want to be next to all of them as well. 

"Hey, Levi, your face looks kind of weird right now," said Hange, breaking Levi out of his thoughts. "Thanks for walking with me to class, let's eat dinner together later! Do you know Moblit? I bet you two would get along." They waved and dashed into the Muggle Studies classroom, nearly crashing into Pieck of Hufflepuff. 

Levi found himself agreeing, almost without realizing, and grimaced as he left the Muggle Studies wing. 

He turned into an empty corridor, pulling out his wand and casting an invisibility charm. His shoulders relaxed and he slowed his pace, basking in the familiarity of the paintings all around the walls. Levi made his way up to the Astronomy tower, to the viewing deck, used only during night exams. The wind was strong up here, and cold, even under the afternoon sun. He leaned over the parapet, sweeping his eyes across the grounds. 

Mike and Erwin were flying around the Quidditch stadium; Levi could tell it was them even at this distance. They didn't seem to really be playing – the Quaffle lay forgotten on the ground, while they flew high above, trying to knock each other off their brooms. Levi had watched the first Quidditch match as a first year, but it didn't interest him. He much preferred to stalk the castle while it was empty, all the other students gathered in the stands for the game. He began to look forward to each match, as it was a rare opportunity to explore the castle in daylight without having to worry about being caught or bumping into anyone. So, he had never seen either Mike or Erwin play. He couldn’t tell if they were good or not; he knew Erwin was Keeper and Captain, and Mike played Chaser, but they weren't practicing Quidditch skills at the moment. 

Mike looked very attractive, hair blown back from his face, grinning and shouting at Erwin. Erwin was laughing freely, his usually neat yellow-blonde hair ruffled from the wind. They slowed, circling each other lazily, like hawks. Levi watched them hungrily, not bothering to mask his expression, glad he was alone at the top of the tower. They were so comfortable together, they so obviously knew each other at the core; Levi burned with envy. He wanted that casual closeness, he wanted to know someone that deeply, and to have them know him in return. He wanted someone to love him, despite everything he was, to love him unequivocally, in any situation. 

Levi forced himself to look away. It was stupid and pathetic to develop a crush on someone just because they were nice to him a few times. 

He turned and walked to the opposite side of the viewing deck, placing the Quidditch stadium squarely at his back. He could see Professor Uri Reiss teaching a Care of Magical Creatures class, near the edge of the Forest. 

Levi had never taken Uri's class, not being particularly fond of animals, but the man was well known for his kindness and patience. Many a student had gone to his office, for a cup of tea and a chat, and he never failed to find something admirable about a person. He even asked students to call him by his first name, though that was ostensibly to distinguish him from his brother, Rod Reiss, who taught Muggle Studies. 

Levi was especially glad now that he didn't take Creatures; he really didn't want to have to interact with Uri on a regular basis. Uri was very short with large eyes and a slow way of speaking; he had somehow met Levi's uncle over the summer (Kenny refused to tell him exactly how) and they were married in less than two months. Kenny, absent as usual, notified Levi of this development from his honeymoon in Japan. 

Fucking Kenny: he was never really around, even on the rare occasions he came home, always distracted and 'waiting for a message from a business partner.' It was true that he had taught Levi to duel, something Levi turned out to be quite good at, but he didn't want to bother with him otherwise. Kenny never told Levi what he did for work, never gave him enough money for food, and never looked at him longer than a few seconds. 

Up until this past summer Levi thought Professor Uri must be alright, given how taken many students were with him; but now he supposed Uri couldn't be all that great if he married Kenny. From what Levi knew Kenny was a loud, short-tempered shit stain who didn't much like anything at all; and he couldn't imagine two people less likely to get married. The Reiss family did have a lot of money, but if that was the reason Kenny married Uri he certainly wasn't sharing his spoils: Levi's robes were still faded almost gray and frayed at the hems. 

Levi bared his teeth. Coming to terms with the idea of his negligent uncle marrying a kind, quiet teacher from his school was difficult enough; but the idea that Kenny Ackerman could marry for love was profoundly wrong. And, if Kenny really did love Uri, then that meant he had the capacity to love…and that Levi wasn’t worth loving. 

But perhaps he'd never understand; he didn't feel like he understood much of anything anymore. His career consultation the previous year left him intensely uncomfortable – he never really put much thought into what he'd like to do after school. There wasn't any particular subject he liked, or any career listed in the informational pamphlets that appealed to him, and he ended up selecting fewer subjects than most sixth years. He hoped a life passion would fall upon him from the sky, but so far he'd been uninspired. 

He felt unmoored, adrift, longing for land but having no idea in which direction it lay. Alone at sea...perhaps he should go overseas, just leave everything behind; his home, his uncle, himself. 

The bell rang across the grounds, signaling the end of classes for the day. Levi stayed where he was. Students from the Care of Magical Creatures class crossed the grounds in groups, but their voices didn't carry up to where Levi stood. Each beetle-sized person had their own preferences and dislikes, goals and talents, friends and families...they led lives Levi couldn't even imagine. He felt they may as well be a different species – or, more likely, Levi himself was just abnormal. 

He thought of Hange's grin, light reflecting off their glasses: maybe he should go to dinner. Their team was supposed to start the checklist afterwards anyway. His team…he’d never thought he’d compete in the Coalition Competition, he’d made sure no one would dare to ask him. And yet, somehow, when Erwin asked, and Mike looked at him, he found he couldn’t refuse. 

Levi took his time descending the spiral staircase, musing over the notorious Mad List. He couldn't honestly say he wanted to compete, but then Erwin said they needed him, Levi, specifically...Levi knew Erwin was a skilled flatterer, but it worked on him anyway; he committed to spending hours with Erwin, Mike, and Hange. He vaguely wondered how much it would hurt if these acquaintances left him, and he merged into the flow of students headed down to dinner. 

* * *

Erwin, Mike, Hange, and Levi gathered in an unused classroom on the fifth floor, sun setting outside the window. They were all bathed in red as Erwin pulled out the checklist parchment and smoothed it on the table. Hange leaned forward. 

The parchment still had 'Coalition Competition Checklist' printed across the top in blocky letters, but the lower portion was no longer blank. A large, black-and-white picture of a spiky, tentacled plant surrounded by hanging vines spread over the parchment. There was nothing else – no instructions, or indeed, any words at all. 

"...What are we supposed to do?" Asked Mike, frowning down at the parchment. 

"Well, that's a Venomous Tentacula plant...maybe we're supposed to get one?" Said Hange. 

Erwin stood back from the rest, eyes unreadable. 

"We could go down to the greenhouses, see if there's a clue there," Hange continued. "I'm sure there'd be some sign we're going in the right direction." They turned to look out the window: the sun had nearly set, and the sky was purple except for a pink ring behind the forested mountains. Students weren't allowed out onto the grounds after dark. 

"I suppose...we may have to wait for the weekend," said Hange, shoulders slumping. 

Levi looked at the dejected Hange, brow furrowed. He took a deep breath. 

"There's a painting of a Venomous Tentacula in one of the basement tunnels," he said, frowning at the table. "I don't know if it's related to this, but we could go there now." 

Hange perked up again, resilient as ever. "Yeah, let's go now!" 

The four of them trooped to the basement, Levi leading the way and Erwin watching from the rear. They were quiet, even Hange, who seemed to have reached a level of excitement that rendered them speechless. 

They followed Levi deeper under the castle, the halls a confusing, torch-lit warren. It was a hushed sort of quiet down here, without the sounds of tramping feet and voices of the students above, and the silence was dark and heavy. Even the paintings on the walls, when they contained people, were silent; following their progress with shining eyes. 

Eventually they turned a corner to a short hallway without any doors leading from it. Against the opposite wall hung a huge painting of a Venomous Tentacula, at least ten feet wide and another ten feet tall. The tentacles waved gently, like palm trees in an ocean breeze. Hange sped up to stand in front of the painting, gazing up, eyes huge. 

"See anything, Hange?" Asked Erwin, coming to stand next to them. 

Hange shook their head slowly, eyes darting around the canvas. "No..." 

Mike tilted his head back, inspecting the waving tentacles. The vines shook themselves, shrugging off droplets of crystal clear water, and the plant swayed back and forth. 

Levi stood apart from the rest, not bothering to examine the painting, looking from Mike to Erwin and back again. They were all much more invested in this than he was. 

"Hey..." Said Mike, nodding up at the Tentacula. The tentacles beckoned more insistently. "I think there's a door behind here. Like Gryffindor Tower." 

He and Hange stepped forward, grasping the bottom edge of the frame and pulling. The giant canvas swung away from the wall, revealing a much smaller rectangular doorway. The room beyond was dark. 

"Nice one, Mike," said Erwin, placing a hand on the edge of the stone doorjamb. His eyes were alight with excitement. "Shall we?" 

Hange jumped forward and Erwin helped them through the doorway, then held the hand out to Levi. Levi was perfectly capable of climbing up to the doorway himself, but Erwin smiled encouragingly at him, and he placed his hand lightly on top of Erwin's larger one. He jumped down on the other side, finding Hange spinning in a circle, scanning their surroundings. Mike and Erwin joined them, looking at the many blank canvases hung on the walls, each a different shape and size. They all had an ornate frame and were crowded together on the walls and ceiling, their whiteness oddly bright, faintly illuminating the room. The light hadn't been there before they entered; or it wasn't visible from outside. 

"Think there's another door behind one of these?" Asked Hange, almost whispering. 

They spread out, tugging on the frames, but none of them left the wall. They were attached with some sort of sticking charm. 

"What about the ones on the ceiling?" Erwin stood in the center of the small room, chin tipped up as if he could get closer. Mike crossed the room in two steps to stand next to Erwin, stretching his arm upwards experimentally. His fingertips just brushed the carved relief of a frame, not enough to try to pull it down. 

Levi approached the largest canvas, about five feet across and circular, the frame touching the floor. As he stared at the canvas, examining the weave of the fibers, it seemed to glow brighter. It was the brightest canvas, by far, but it didn’t hurt Levi’s eyes; it seemed to draw him closer, soft white light filling his mind, tugging at his heart. As if in a trance, Levi lifted his hand and reached out to the canvas. He touched the surface, just barely, and inhaled sharply as the weave rippled outwards from his hand, color in its wake. 

A view of a hill, seen from a taller neighboring point, appeared in front of Levi. He heard the surprised murmurs of Hange and Erwin: all the other canvases hung dark and dull, gray. The grassy hill was saturated in clear afternoon sunlight, topped by a shady tree. Grass carpeted a steep decline to a shallow valley carved by a slow river, then continued up the tree-topped knoll. 

Mike, Erwin, and Hange clustered around Levi. The stared at the image, looking too real to be a painting. As they watched a wind blew across the scene, bending the grass, and the tree shivered in response. And then the wind reached them, ruffling their hair, the heat of the sun warming their faces. 

"Should we--" began Hange. 

"Levi should," said Erwin confidently, and Mike grasped Levi’s shoulder. He gave a reassuring squeeze and left his hand there; none of them would move forward until Levi was ready. 

Levi reached out again, and this time his hand touched nothing but open air, as if the frame were a window or door. He drew back slightly, then stepped forward into the frame. His feet touched sunny grass; it looked real, and the heat from the sun felt real, but everything from the light on the river to the calling of the insects was just a little too bright. Unseen birds chittered, seemingly from everywhere. This land still felt like a painting, one that was intended to project peace and happiness. The hairs on the back of Levi's neck lifted and he rolled his shoulders, raising his wand. 

He turned as Hange gasped in wonder. Hange, Mike, and Erwin stood in shafts of golden sunlight peeking through cottony clouds. The air around them seemed to sparkle. Levi looked down and saw he was bathed in the same glittering light, as if the sun knew exactly who they were. 

The room behind the Tentacula painting was dark in the brightness of this sunny world, a black circle upright in the air, thinner than a sheet of paper. It seemed to suck light into itself, appearing larger the longer it was looked at. Beyond lay more hills, grassy and sun-drenched. 

"So what now?" Asked Levi, looking to Erwin. 

"Oh, wow!" Hange pointed to the hill seen from the canvas room: the tree was waving its branches and rustling its leaves, though there was no wind. It began to glow, starting from the deepest cracks in the bark and growing in intensity as they watched. 

"We're supposed to get to the top of the hill!" Exclaimed Hange. Erwin didn't appear as sure, thick eyebrows drawing together. 

Hange dashed down the hill, ignoring Erwin and Mike's calls to wait. The hill was even steeper than it looked, and Hange soon tripped and rolled like a stone all the way down to the river. They landed with a splash, water droplets flinging themselves in the air and glittering with joy. The water moved like liquids were supposed to, but the movement seemed off somehow, slower, and the droplets reflected much more light than water usually did. 

Mike reacted quickly; when Hange began to run he leapt after them, pulling up his robes and sliding down the hill on his hip. He reached the edge of the river as Hange stood up, holding their glasses to their face while they sputtered and shook themselves. 

"Mike!" Shouted Erwin, pointing upriver. 

A huge wave was rolling toward Mike and Hange, a physically impossible wave, nearly fifteen feet tall and rounded at the edges. Levi wondered if someone was watching them, manipulating their surroundings. 

Erwin launched himself forward as Mike had, sliding down the grass and jumping between Mike and the unnatural wave. He raised his wand. 

"Protego!" He shouted, but the shield charm had no effect on the water. 

The wave was picking up speed, only a few lengths away from Hange. They squinted through the droplets on their lenses, half-lifting their wand. 

Mike leapt into the water, pushing Hange hard enough that they landed in the long grass on the opposite bank. Erwin jumped with him, grabbing his arm and forcing his head down. Erwin cast another shield charm, this time upon himself and Mike, and braced himself for the water to crash over them. 

The wave bore down upon them, holding each other in the shallow river, and swept them away. The shield charm preserved a bubble of air around them, but they spun sickeningly like leaves in the wind. Mike remembered the time he fell off his broomstick as a child; he closed his eyes and pulled Erwin closer. 

Levi cried out as he watched Mike and Erwin be washed away, pulled around the bend in the river in seconds. He jumped out over the steep decline, flipping his wand to a backwards grip and casting a propulsion charm to boost his flight. He landed on the riverbank, wand held at the ready, but it was too late. He grit his teeth. 

"Levi!" Called Hange, running to stand level with Levi on the opposite bank. "We have to go after them!" 

Levi nodded, but at that moment the ground rumbled and split beneath Hange, plunging them into a black crevice. They yelped in surprise, eyes wide behind their glasses, and the ground closed over them again seamlessly. The vivid green grass waved innocently at Levi. 

He swiveled his head, crouching a little and raising his left hand level with his wand. This competition was getting to be too much trouble; they had no idea what they were doing in the first place and now they were separated. Levi growled as his foot stumbled over a rock hidden in the grass. 

Something was happening on the opposite bank, where Hange disappeared: flecks of light coalescing into a vague, shining form. Levi hoped it would be Hange, or at least Mike or Erwin. The form shifted, growing more detailed, and Levi squinted. 

The light fell away, revealing Levi himself, mirroring the pose of the original. A clone, a twin, a doppelganger? Levi pointed his wand at it, and it matched his movement exactly. 

Levi forced his breath back to a steady rhythm, thinking fast. He shot an experimental Stinging Hex at the clone, diving to the side to avoid the other's hex. He rolled back to his feet; the clone did the same across the river. Conjuration was nearly impossible to imitate, unlike a simple charm...Levi directed his wand at the clone, and four peregrine falcons exploded out in a cloud of red smoke. They dove at the clone even as the clone's birds plummeted towards Levi; he bared his teeth and swiped his wand in front of him. He had conjured the falcons for their speed, and just barely managed to vanish them before they reached him. The other Levi copied him exactly. 

The Levis stared at each other, the clone's face curiously blank. The original Levi glared, and they paced in unison along their respective riverbanks. Levi didn't know of any magic that could so completely replicate a conjuration; but if he knew one thing, it was that this clone was not himself. It was created by someone else, someone who knew him, but that was all for the better: Levi was a secretive person, and no one, not even his teachers, knew the full extent of his power. And how could the creator imitate something they had no idea of? 

Raising their left hands together, the Levis stared into each other's eyes. Two identical blasts of energy erupted from their hands, meeting over the river and extinguishing themselves with a crackle like lightning. Levi swore under his breath; no one at Hogwarts knew of his skill with wandless magic. This shouldn't be possible. 

He swept his wand upwards and the river rose like a wall between them; the clone's outline wavered as it raised its wand too. It may be initiating an attack. The spell for creating projectiles from liquid escaped Levi, and he snarled in frustration. He pushed his left hand at the water wall and both sides exploded outwards, droplets like bullets, stopped by matching shield charms. Levi slashed his wand in front of him, ducking the parallel jet of light – shooting curses at one another wasn't going to work. Levi leapt into the water, intending to get close enough for muggle-style dueling: it had served him well many times in the past, as magicians somehow never expected a punch to the face. 

Dueling a mirror was more difficult than he expected, though; there were no plants or structures to hide behind, nothing in his surroundings he could use to his advantage. The rocks lining the river bottom shifted under his feet, and the current was stronger than it looked – more than once Levi nearly lost his footing. The two Levis moved together, the sunlit river illuminated by even brighter flashes of spells. Grappling vines flew out of both wands, sliced apart at the same time, and a staticky, burning smell filled the air as pure magic flared from their hands. 

The sun hung in the sky, never moving, and Levi couldn't tell how long he fought the clone. He was panting, reaching his limit, and still the clone watched him impassively. Eventually a rock slid under his foot and the leg buckled; he landed hard on one knee in the water. The clone had not fallen – it stood there, wand held loosely at its side, gazing down at him. Levi's heartbeat filled his ears as he stared at the clone. It made no move to attack. 

Levi struggled to a standing position, leg shaking, endeavoring to keep his wand steady, and the clone was motionless. His wand twitched and he clenched his hands involuntarily. They stood facing each other, neither moving to the offensive, and Levi knew he was exhausted enough to give up. This competition was pointless, and he didn't want to fight anymore; he dropped his wand to his side and shrugged at the clone. 

The clone pocketed its wand and Levi hesitated before he cautiously approached, climbing over the slippery riverbank. The clone was frozen like a statue; it neither blinked nor breathed nor twitched. Levi looked at the top of the hill: the tree was still swaying. He nodded to the clone and its outline blurred, expanding like glowing smoke. It grew brighter and brighter until it collapsed in on itself, leaving the area feeling gloomy despite the sunshine. 

Levi sighed heavily; he didn't know where Mike, Erwin, or Hange were and he refused to leave this place without them. Hange would try to get to the tree if they could, and Erwin and Mike knew that...perhaps he should camp out under the tree and wait for them to show up. Or he could go tramping around aimlessly, hoping to stumble upon them. 

His feet squished in his shoes and he pulled out his wand, directing it at himself. His clothes dried instantly and he plodded up the hill. 

* * *

Hange slid down a long earthen chute in pitch blackness. Their screams echoed behind them as they bounced around sharp curves; they had no idea how fast they were going. They clutched their glasses to their face and waited for it to be over. Eventually the slide leveled, and they hurtled into a long stone room whose ceiling was so high it was out of reach of the torchlights bracketed to the walls. 

"Lumos," they whispered, climbing to their feet, and their wandtip ignited. 

The stone floor was pebbled at first glance, but as Hange crouched down for a closer look they saw that each irregularly sized stone was carved in imitation of a snail shell. The walls were stranger still: they were not made of blocks but appeared to be solid gray stone that joined seamlessly with the floor. The walls were covered with a shiny, translucent layer; it looked like glass, but as Hange tapped the surface with a nail they found it did not clink like glass did. The shining torch brackets seemed to grow out of the wall, and the flames gave off no heat. 

Turning slowly, Hange spotted a low, solid-looking door set into the far wall. Approaching the door they found that the entirety of the black wood was carved in exquisite detail: dragons, hippogriffs, and thestrals encircled by vines, flowers, and chains of ancient runes. More runes crawled around each edge; there were no hinges and no doorhandle. 

Hange held up their wand, throwing the carved runes in high relief. They didn't take the Ancient Runes course at Hogwarts, but self-studied the subject from their expansive library at home. They had spent hours, days, years in that library, every school break and late night, reading everything they could get their hands on. They read aloud, they sang, they shot fireworks from their mother's old wand...anything to fill that awful silence. 

Hange pulled themselves back to the present, the task in front of them. The largest runes, set into the center of the door, loosely translated to: 

_Oftentimes the correct solution is the simplest one._

Hange frowned. Was this some sort of riddle? They mentally sorted through all the books on riddles and cryptography they'd read, counting syllables and stringing together the first letter of each word. That couldn't be right, though, parsing a translated phrase; and there was nothing to indicate wordplay or imagery. 

Perhaps it had to do with the door itself, then. Hange moved closer to the door, touching the wood with the tip of their wand. 

Minutes passed while Hange was absorbed in their task. The door could not be transfigured, charmed, or vanished, and its substance could not be converted to any other form. Hange grew frustrated – they had hoped vanishing the door would have been simple enough to satisfy the riddle, or requirements, or whatever the hell they were supposed to be doing. And, while all of this was strange enough, the team didn't technically know if this was part of the checklist. They thought of the closet lined with shelves of glass orbs they had discovered in their third year: each baseball-sized orb was like a snow globe, scenes of nature and quaint village streets contained within them. Hange had spent hours staring into the little worlds; minute birds flew above mountain forests, storms dropped rain and snow on cottages, and there were even tiny little people, smaller than a grain of rice and going about their miniature business. Though Hange tried many times they were unable to locate that closet again, and accepted it as one of the many mysteries of the school. Perhaps the canvas room and everything beyond was just another peculiarity of Hogwarts. 

Hange took a deep breath; they needed to focus. They reviewed the information they gathered, tapping their wand in rhythm against the door, and the runes drew their eye. The simplest solution... 

Hange backed up several steps, holding their wand out in front of them. They fixed their eyes on the beautifully carved door. 

"Reducto!" 

The door was blasted into the passageway behind it, splinters and fragments trailing behind larger planks. The pieces clattered on the stone floor, echoing sharply. 

Hange ducked into the passageway and jogged, lit wand aloft. The stone floor was smooth and slippery, unlit, and sloped upwards like a ramp. Though the way down had been much longer, and they had been traveling much faster, Hange soon noticed a slight lessening to the gloom. They hurried forward and reached the end of the tunnel, a hole filled with light set into the wall. Hange squinted, extinguishing their wandlight, and approached cautiously. As their eyes adjusted they saw sunlit grass through the opening, long and swaying in the breeze. 

Hange reached out with their wand. As the tip passed through the space where wall should be, an inexorable force pulled Hange through the opening. They tumbled onto the bright grass, sun in the same position in the sky. The heat warmed their face as they sat up, and they realized how cold the underground room had been. 

"Hange?" 

They spun around, spotting Levi sitting in the shade with his back against the tree trunk, directly below the hollow Hange had evidently just fallen out of. He had his knees pulled up to his chest and looked very tired. 

"Hey!" Hange grinned. They hadn't been scared, not exactly, but it felt good to be out in the sunshine again with a familiar face. Insects buzzed cheerfully and the grass bowed under the breeze; everything was particularly dazzling. 

"Are you alright?" They threw their arms around Levi's shoulders, pressing him tightly. 

He was still for a moment. "Uh...yeah," he seemed surprised at the question. He hesitantly raised his arms around Hange, not squeezing but certainly hugging back. 

* * *

The wave swept Mike and Erwin irresistibly, uncontrollably downstream; Mike kept his head tucked and his elbows at his sides. Their protective bubble crashed into rocks, spinning aside and throwing up trails of sparkling water. The sky and water switched places continuously, on and on, with no indication of how long they'd been in the river or when this unpleasant water slide would end. Erwin began to feel nauseous and clenched his eyes shut; his wand was nearly torn from his hand as they switched direction yet again. 

An infinite amount of time later, the water around them slowed and they rotated somewhat less rapidly. Erwin opened his eyes, himself and Mike floating on a calm stream, the wave that carried them off nowhere in sight. He exhaled shakily and looked around. 

"Erwin," said Mike. He was pointing downstream, and then Erwin heard the telltale rumble of water falling a long, long distance. 

Erwin attempted another shield charm while Mike tried to transfigure the water, or a rock, anything that might help them escape the relentless pull of the river; but neither had any effect. In desperation, Mike cast a hover charm upon himself and Erwin. As they began to rise the water reached after them and pulled them back, submerging them to their necks, wand arms immobilized. 

"Erwin," said Mike again. 

"We'll be okay. It's a school thing, we won't die," Erwin tried to smile reassuringly and reached for Mike's hand through the water. He had never been a strong swimmer, and the idea of plunging down a waterfall with no idea what might lay at the bottom was extremely unpleasant. 

The roar of the water was so loud it seemed to send vibrations through Erwin's bones, and they sped up. They spun from side to side, spray causing them to cough and sputter; they held on tightly to their wands and each other as they were pulled over the edge. They seemed to fall in slow motion; the droplets were suspended around them, refracting so brightly Erwin thought he may go blind. They incessant spray choked him, they were still revolving as they fell, and the roar of the tumbling water suddenly became muted. 

Darkness surrounded them, so instantaneously Erwin panicked and inhaled sharply. He winced as water burned in his lungs; he couldn't breathe without inhaling more water, they were still plummeting downwards, and now, of all things, it was dark. 

Just as Erwin thought he might pass out he and Mike landed in deep water. They broke through the surface hard, like crashing through a wall, and Erwin's wand was wrested from his grip. He kicked as hard as he could, not knowing where the surface was, and felt Mike gripping his arm and dragging him upwards. 

They surfaced, shaking their hair out of their faces and panting. They were in some sort of underground cave, the size of the Great Hall, no waterfall and no exit in sight. The dripping walls were illuminated by a shallow pool set in a rock island, and Mike and Erwin swam to it. 

"Lost my wand," groaned Mike, hauling himself onto the rock. 

"Me too," said Erwin. He tried not to sound as worried as he felt – how were they supposed to do anything without wands? He scrambled up after Mike. 

Erwin scanned the cave and surrounding water; he could hear liquid dropping from the walls and yet the surface was entirely still. Even the ripples he and Mike caused had already vanished, unnaturally quickly. 

"Erwin...look at this," Mike was kneeling at the edge of the shallow pool, face illuminated softly. 

Erwin knelt next to him, touching his shoulder with his own, and peered into the water. Two vague figures were reflected back, wavering as if seen through rippled glass. 

"Water's not moving," said Mike, indicating the edges of the pool. The water lay flat and still, as if solid, and though the basin appeared shallow neither could see the stone bottom. 

Erwin frowned, and his reflection's eyebrows smudged together. The figures seemed to undulate as Erwin stared. This was curious and all, but they needed to get out of this cave and find Levi and Hange; then they would complete the task, whatever it was, and get the hell out of this painting. 

"...Erwin, I need to tell you something," said Mike. 

Erwin froze. His throat tightened and something cold clenched in his chest; his fingers twitched and he wished he was still holding onto his wand. This was it, Mike was going to tell him he didn't love him, he was going to tell Erwin he had led their little group into this disaster, that he needlessly endangered them, that Mike could no longer trust him...that Mike was better off without him. 

Mike turned to look at him, half his face lit by the pool, his eyes in shadow. 

"I don't want to be an Auror." 

Erwin exhaled in a gust and gasped, almost laughing with relief. "Oh! Okay, that's fine. That's great. What do you want to do instead?" 

"Haven't decided yet," Mike was studying him, nonplussed by his reaction. "You're not mad I didn't tell you earlier?" 

"No, you should do what you want to do." 

Mike smiled at him, one of his rare smiles that spread across his whole face. Erwin loved that smile, and treasured the privilege of causing it. 

"I know it's not the best time," Mike rubbed his nose self-consciously. "But I had to tell you." 

Erwin stared at Mike, softly lit by the pool. Several hairs shone white in the dark cave, green eyes so deep Erwin could fall into them, he could float into them. Mike, steady and kind, snarky at all the right moments, loyal and fierce and...endlessly supportive. Always, in everything Erwin did, Mike was there for him; so much so Erwin relied on it, expected it of him. 

But that wasn't fair, because Mike deserved that too; he deserved more. Mike should have everything, everything and anything, whether Erwin could provide or not. And perhaps...perhaps Erwin had been a little selfish: swept up, as always, by his laser-focus and determination. So used to getting his way: through coercion, flattery, maneuvering, anything; was Mike a casualty of his ambition? Mike's hesitance was a reflection upon Erwin, a sign. Maybe it was time for him to learn to let go, and trust that Mike would stay. Perhaps he hadn't been loving Mike like Mike loved him; but that would change. 

"Hey...I love you." Erwin leaned forward, staring into Mike's eyes. It was so simple, so factual, he didn't even blush. "And I mean that even outside our, like, you know. Whatever happens to us, between us, in the future...I love you, no matter what." 

Mike gazed back at him. There was something between them now, something that had always been there but seemed to solidify as soon as the words left Erwin's mouth. He knew, in that moment, that they understood each other perfectly. 

Mike threw his arms around Erwin's neck and Erwin pulled him as close as he could. They swayed a little, still on their knees, laughing at themselves, each other, at this stupid cave. Mike whispered that he loved Erwin back; and Erwin felt like he could fly, like he could do anything, like he'd walk through hell and back to hear it again. They put their lips to each other's ears and said it over and over, and each time it felt as new as if they'd invented it. And perhaps they did; for who else loved as deeply, as completely as they did? Who else was as devoted, as understanding as they were? Sixteen-going-on-seventeen was young, sure, and maybe they were inexperienced in the realms of life and romance, but after all: love was love, and they were so, so in love. 

Eventually they pulled back enough to rest their foreheads against each other. They breathed deeply, eyes closed, the dim lighting rendering everything timeless. They stayed there so long the pain in Erwin's knees dulled, the cold of the stone seeping through his legs, Mike securely in his arms. 

"Hey," said Mike, nodding at the pool. 

Erwin looked. Their reflections were stabilized, almost solid; like looking at a sheet of glass. Mike's eyes were bright, and one hand gently held Erwin's elbow. Erwin had one hand on Mike's chest, the other slipped around his back, both their hair wet and dark. They could see themselves and each other clearly now. 

And, what was more...Erwin leaned closer, hovering over the water's surface. Both his and Mike's wands were at the bottom of the shallow pool, waiting to be seen. 

Erwin began to reach for his, but drew back. Looking to Mike, he smiled and caught up his hand. Mike interlaced their fingers, and lifted his other hand. They reached for their wands together, and as their fingers broke the surface an inescapable force pulled them into the pool. 

It felt as if they performed a slow motion flip, and as the world righted itself they both fell to their knees. They didn't release their hands though, and looked around them as they stood. They were halfway up the hill they had seen from the canvas room, the pool they fell through nowhere in sight. The river flowed below them, harmless-looking as a creek. 

"We might as well get to the tree, see what all that's about," said Mike, looking to the top of the hill. Erwin squeezed his hand in agreement, and they trudged up the steep incline. 

As they crested the hill they found Hange and Levi, unexpectedly but most definitely hugging. Erwin sighed in relief. 

"Are you guys okay?" He called, and they broke apart. 

Levi immediately dropped his arms and stood, coming to meet them. He glanced and Erwin and Mike's clasped hands, then up to each of their faces. "Should we just get out of here?" 

"Well..." Said Erwin, looking down at Levi. He clearly wanted to leave this place, but Erwin couldn't go now – not when they were already here, when they had yet to complete the task. Levi was looking up at him though; he seemed tired, worried, maybe even a little scared, and Erwin's chest tightened. 

"We can try again this weekend," said Mike, drawing his attention with a twitch of his hand. 

Hange had been watching the three of them closely, but now joined them. "I'm not opposed to trying again later," they said. 

Erwin looked around, then nodded, accepting defeat. But not a defeat, not really; just a delay – they four would try again, and next time they'd be successful. Mike squeezed his hand, and Erwin smiled ruefully. 

"Then let's get the hell out of here," he said. 

Erwin turned to the portal, looking so far away on top of another hill. Before he could take a step Hange gasped, pointing at the tree they tried so hard to get to. Glowing runes appeared around the edge of the hollow: the light peaked, blinding them, and then faded, leaving the runes set deep into the bark. 

Hange approached the tree and peered at the carvings. "The destination matters not, only the journey to it,*" they read. 

Erwin stopped. The destination...didn't matter? How could it not? Surely the whole point of the competition was the prize, the reward, the destination. 

He felt Mike pulling on his hand, following Levi down the hill. Erwin filed the matter away for the time being, to be considered while he lay in bed that night. If he had time, of course; Erwin suspected he'd be dreaming of Mike tonight. 

"So what happened to you guys?" Erwin asked. Levi didn't respond, so he looked round at Hange. 

"I fell down this tunnel thing, right after that wave carried you two off," said Hange. "And I had to get through this door, only nothing I did worked...and in the end I used a Reductor Curse, came up another tunnel, and fell out of the tree." 

Erwin raised his eyebrows. "Nothing worked except blasting it apart?" 

"Yeah, can you believe? I felt like a dumbass," said Hange. They came upon the river, and they all paused before stepping into the water. The current was as gentle as it looked, clear as diamond, still unnaturally bright. 

Erwin pondered Hange's obstacle as they climbed the opposite hill. "No," he said kindly. "I think you and I just need to slow down sometimes. Not overthink things." 

Hange grinned at him, turning around quickly so they wouldn't trip again. 

At long last they reached the top of the hill where the black portal stood. Levi sighed, rolling his neck. He was still holding his wand in front of him, as he had since they all agreed to leave this painted world. Hange came next, closely followed by Mike and Erwin, who were still holding hands. Once again Levi found himself envying them, their closeness, and he turned and passed through the portal first. 

The canvas room beyond was dark. Blind, Levi stood next to the portal and waited for his eyes to adjust. He heard Hange's distinct, heavy step, and saw the shadows of Mike and Erwin as they stepped away from the frame. As soon as all four were in the canvas room the sunny world faded, leaving the canvas white and faintly glowing. All the canvases were glowing again, and they could see the torches lighting the hall through the doorway. 

There was a sudden heat in Erwin's pocket, the one that held the Checklist parchment. He pulled it out and unfolded it, Hange and Levi collecting around him and Mike. By the dim light of the canvases they could see the parchment had wiped itself blank: did this mean they completed the task? 

Hange thought so, for they punched their fist in the air. Mike laid his arm over Erwin's shoulder, and Levi's eyebrows rose a little. They had somehow blundered into victory. Erwin slid an arm around Mike's waist; they had succeeded, their team he put together, and he felt vindicated. 

Back into the low, echoing stone hall; Mike and Erwin swung the painting of the Tentacula back against the wall. Everything looked exactly the same as before, as if they just left. Levi led them again, silently, and when they had gone up several staircases he paused. He held up a finger, and they all stopped behind him. 

"The stairs at the end of this corridor lead to the Entrance Hall," Levi said quietly. His voice was low and rough, and Mike and Erwin glanced at each other. 

"Cast Disillusionment Charms on yourselves, and Cushioning Charms on your feet. Stick to the shadows, and don't talk to the paintings, statues, or ghosts. The suits of armor patrol the corridors, so watch out for them." 

Erwin smiled to himself as they all did as they were told; it was well known that the sentient decorations of Hogwarts were all habitual gossips. It's not as if they had much else to do, and Erwin had found their information useful more than once. Levi seemed very used to moving around the castle in secret, though, and suddenly Erwin wondered what he did with his time. 

The four of them, nearly invisible, crept up into the Entrance Hall. The large clockface above the double doors informed them it was nearly three in the morning. 

"See you," Mike squeezed Erwin's fingers one last time and padded off to the north staircase, pulling Hange with him. 

"We'll talk in Potions," Erwin whispered after them. 

Erwin and Levi crossed the Hall, to another set of basement tunnels beyond the massive hourglasses that recorded House points. He was more aware of Levi pacing next to him than he ever had been before, despite both of them being concealed, and wondered what it was that Mike liked about him. Mike had always had excellent taste and was a superb judge of character, except for Erwin, and so he knew there must be something more than Levi's good looks and mysterious, aloof attitude. 

"Thanks for coming with us today," said Erwin, as they approached the intersection that led to the Slytherin common room on one side and the Hufflepuff common room on the other. 

Levi nodded; then, remembering Erwin couldn't see him, grunted. "Yeah." 

"...You didn't say anything about what happened to you in there. Are you okay?" 

Yet again these people were asking if Levi was okay. It was such a foreign question Levi hadn't even stopped to consider it. 

"Yeah." 

"Then I'll see you in Potions." Erwin could faintly see Levi; he had turned to face Erwin and was thrown into relief by the torchlight. 

Erwin reached out impulsively and rested a hand on Levi's shoulder, only for a moment. He continued on, turning left at the end of the hall and beginning the descent to the dungeon common room. 

Levi stayed where he was; surprised, confused, possibly flushed. Something had squirmed in his gut when Erwin touched his shoulder, just as when Mike had done the same thing. They were both so tall, and so good-looking, and they were being much too nice to him; they had known him two days and now Levi was blushing from a simple, innocent touch. 

He exhaled through pursed lips. "...Yeah." 

* * *

Mike, Erwin, Hange, and Levi gathered together just a few hours later in Potions. They set up their cauldrons, Erwin and Hange grinning tiredly at each other. 

"We did it!" Hange hissed across the table. They and Erwin touched the tips of their wands together, producing a small shower of sparks. 

Mike nudged Levi's foot under the table, eyes twinkling despite the shadows underneath. Levi started, blushing, and stared determinedly at Professor Pixis at the front of the room. 

"Good morning, everyone. Today we will be brewing Veritaserum," said Professor Pixis, and several students groaned. He chuckled. "Yes, I don't expect a perfect potion from anyone. You will, however, brew all of these potions again by the end of your seventh year, and you'll be able to see for yourselves how much you've improved." 

Levi kept his eyes down as everyone began to work, organizing ingredients and lighting fires under their cauldrons. Sitting with Mike, Erwin, and Hange today had been automatic. He'd never sat with a group regularly before, or at least none he talked to; perhaps he'd been so tired he sat at this particular table without realizing. But they seemed to expect him to sit with them, they seemed pleased to see him, and greeted him warmly. 

Then Mike...he was teasing Levi, if that was possible. Levi could count on one hand the number of people who felt comfortable enough to tease him, and he couldn't deny that he enjoyed it immensely. He looked across the table – Erwin, Hange, and Mike were snickering at some joke. There was clearly something between them now, a familiarity, or a bond, born from their experience together in the painted world. 

Erwin looked to Levi. "How are you feeling, Levi?" 

"Fine," Levi shrugged, adding daisy roots to his cauldron. Erwin was being nice again. "...tired." 

"Are we going to look at the next task tonight?" Asked Hange, waving their wand in a complicated pattern over their potion. 

"No," Erwin huffed out a laugh. "I have a lot of homework I've been putting off...Quidditch tryouts this weekend..." 

"Have you guys started on Transfiguration? I haven't..." Hange continued, Erwin nodding occasionally. 

Levi was silent, stirring his potion. He hadn't slept at all, he drank four cups of coffee at breakfast, and he was having a difficult time remembering how many revolutions he made as he stirred. His hand twitched, and the liquid immediately turned a sickly orange. Fuck. 

"Need help with that?" Mike sniffed and glanced over at Levi's cauldron. His and Hange's potions were already transparent and nearly colorless, Erwin's a pastel blue. 

Levi winced and ducked his head. He was royally fucking up his potion, again, and Mike was offering to help him, again, and he was going to cherish their exchange forever because apparently he'd fall in love with anyone who was somewhat decent to him. 

"I...yeah, thanks," said Levi, standing aside to make room. 

Mike moved around the table, bending low to adjust the fire under Levi's cauldron. He pulled out several more ingredients from Levi's kit, smiling faintly when he caught Levi staring at him. 

Levi forced himself to look at Erwin and Hange. They were deeply absorbed in a discussion about the Transfiguration class they had next. 

He sighed and handed his silver knife to Mike, to slice more daisy roots. He hadn't slept at all because he'd been brooding over the first task, that clone that had somehow duplicated his wandless magic. Levi had been so sure that no one, nothing could reproduce his magic, and he had never lost a duel in his life. 

But did he lose the duel? Did choosing to stop fighting count as a loss? It didn't feel like it, somehow; and after all, they ended up completing the task. Levi remembered Kenny teaching him to fight as a young child, all his rules: Always put up a fight. Always attack first. There was no such thing as fighting dirty. And never, never give up; go out fighting if need be. So why had he stopped, and why didn't the clone defeat him? 

Maybe... 

Maybe he wasn't supposed to fight at all. The clone had just let him pass. 

Not fighting didn't seem right, though. Levi started as Mike placed a huge, warm hand on his back and drew him closer to his cauldron. 

"It's fine now," Mike was saying. "It'll take a month to mature anyway." 

Levi nodded mutely, and Mike returned to his own potion. 

After Pixis patrolled the room and bade them flask and cork a portion of their potions to mature he dismissed them, smiling benignly at the unfortunate student who spilled dragon bile on themselves. Levi lagged behind at his table, though he had a break next: he wanted to stay with Mike and Erwin and Hange a few minutes longer. 

Mike, despite the lack of sleep, was having an excellent day. He and Erwin met in the Entrance Hall before breakfast, as usual; today, though, Erwin pulled him behind a tapestry concealing an empty plinth and kissed him sweetly. It was casual, like it was a regular occurrence, and Mike couldn't believe their first kiss had only been two months ago; their second kiss only three days past. 

It was something like a delightful secret between them, though they weren't as subtle as they thought they were. Every glance and nudge and smile seemed to mean a little more now, and Mike was afloat in a haze of innocent jubilation. Additionally, he'd been able to get closer to Levi in Potions, and had even touched his back. The first task was completed, and though he had much homework to do he was more content than he'd been in a long time. Not even the impending Transfiguration lesson could wrest him from his good mood. 

The four of them left the Potions classroom together, Mike and Erwin walking so close their shoulders touched. Hange was less energetic than usual, but more cheerful, and they led the way to the Transfiguration wing. Levi attempted to trail behind, but Erwin threw out an arm and pulled him level with himself and Mike. He laid his elbow on Levi's shoulder as they walked, smiling as Levi peered up at him cautiously. 

Levi left them at the entrance to the Transfiguration corridor, melting away into the current of passing students. Hange entered the sixth year classroom first and proceeded to their favorite table on the far side, by the windows, and Mike and Erwin followed them. 

Though Hange had been trying to make conversation as usual, they were troubled by the events in the painted world. Demolishing the door was a simple solution; that was fair. They overcomplicated that one. But Erwin said they both needed to slow down, and what did that mean exactly? 

Erwin shifted in his seat, studiously taking notes. Mike gazed out the window, twirling his quill in his hand. Those two had been rather jovial since they came back from holiday...Hange hadn't spent much time around them in previous years, so they couldn't say whether this behavior was usual; but they seemed to be flirting, a lot. All the time. And Levi, though irritable and uninviting, was clearly developing a crush on both of them. 

Hange looked to Professor Ksaver. He had cut his hair shorter this year, and wore the same glasses Hange had always seen on him. The sleeves of his robes were slightly too long, and he shook them out of the way as he explained a complicated model on the blackboard. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, to correct for the limp Hange noticed their second year, and conjured a second blackboard from thin air. There was stubble on his cheeks, unusually, and Hange wondered why that was. 

This couldn't be right; Hange was overcomplicating matters again. 

They gazed off to the opposite side of the room, eyes falling upon Pieck Finger. Pieck was a Hufflepuff, and also in Hange's Muggle Studies class. She greeted Hange in passing, always with a relaxed smile, and was usually trailed by several boys from her hometown. They looked at her more closely than they ever had before, attempting to take in every detail while somehow keeping things simple. 

Pieck was copying the spell model from the board, hair falling into her face where it was unbound by her low ponytail. Hange saw her in profile, and her prominent nose curved outwards under her large, liquid eyes. Her lashes brushed her cheeks, dark against her skin, and Hange's mind was oddly blank. Pieck was beautiful. 

How had they never noticed before? Hange tried to remember Pieck as she'd been in their first year, or second or third, and found that they could not. Hange had always spent most of their free time with Moblit Berner, a year below themself, and came to realize they knew little of the other students beyond their names. Was this what Erwin meant by slowing down? 

Pieck brushed her hair out of her face and continued writing. After a few seconds she seemed to feel Hange's eyes on her; she looked up and smiled at them, flicking her quill back and forth, and returned her attention to Professor Ksaver. Hange released a breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding. 

Erwin caught their eye, mouth quirking up, and Hange winked back. Slow down, indeed. 

**Author's Note:**

> *Quote lifted from Eragon, Book 2
> 
> Oh wow, this is my first attempt at a long piece, so... We’ll see how this goes.
> 
> Hange, Hange, my sweet precious genius baby Hange who I fell in love with in 2013... I'll love you forever <3 and I can’t believe Hange hit on Pieck in canon lmao
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
